Relativistic Hartree theory of finite nuclei: The role of the quantum vacuum

C. J. Horowitz, Brian D. Serot

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Abstract

One-baryon-loop fluctuation contributions to the vacuum energy are included in relativistic Hartree calculations of closed-shell nuclei. These corrections decrease the nuclear scalar density by approximately 15% in the nuclear interior and may be observable in medium-energy proton-nucleus scattering. Their omission could significantly distort empirically determined neutron densities.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)181-186
Number of pages6
JournalPhysics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
Volume140
Issue number3-4
DOIs
StatePublished - 7 Jun 1984
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
There is considerable recent "evidence of relativistic single-particle potentials in nuclei. Large Lorentz scalar and vector potentials arise in relativistic optical-model fits to medium-energy proton-nucleus scattering \[1\],a nd similar potentials have been used in Dirac-Hartree studies of doubly magic nuclei with considerable success \[2-4\].I n addition, medium-energy nucleon-nucleus scattering has recently been accurately described in the relativistic impulse approximation, in which large Lorentz scalar and four-vector pieces arise by combining realistic nuclear densities with empirical nucleon-nucleon amplitudes \[5,6\]. It has also been known for sometime that one-boson-exchange-potential fits to nucleon-nucleon scattering favor these components in the nucleon-nucleon interaction \[7,8\]. An essential feature of these approaches is a large Lorentz scalar interaction. At ordinary nuclear densities, the resulting single-particle potential is a significant fraction of the nucleon mass, implying a sub- Supported in part by NSF Grant PHY 81-07395 and US DOE Contract DE-AC02-76ER03069.

Funding

There is considerable recent "evidence of relativistic single-particle potentials in nuclei. Large Lorentz scalar and vector potentials arise in relativistic optical-model fits to medium-energy proton-nucleus scattering \[1\],a nd similar potentials have been used in Dirac-Hartree studies of doubly magic nuclei with considerable success \[2-4\].I n addition, medium-energy nucleon-nucleus scattering has recently been accurately described in the relativistic impulse approximation, in which large Lorentz scalar and four-vector pieces arise by combining realistic nuclear densities with empirical nucleon-nucleon amplitudes \[5,6\]. It has also been known for sometime that one-boson-exchange-potential fits to nucleon-nucleon scattering favor these components in the nucleon-nucleon interaction \[7,8\]. An essential feature of these approaches is a large Lorentz scalar interaction. At ordinary nuclear densities, the resulting single-particle potential is a significant fraction of the nucleon mass, implying a sub- Supported in part by NSF Grant PHY 81-07395 and US DOE Contract DE-AC02-76ER03069.

FundersFunder number
National Science FoundationPHY 81-07395
U.S. Department of EnergyDE-AC02-76ER03069

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